Dick Van Dyke Turned Down 'Dancing With the Stars'

No stranger to the old soft shoe, the star of the classic musicals 'Bye Bye Birdie,' 'Mary Poppins' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' said no to a stint on 'Dancing.'

"I was asked to be on 'Dancing With the Stars.' And I said I could do one [episode]," Van Dyke told Inside TV. "But to do a second week would be out of the question. I couldn't cut it," joked Van Dyke, who was promoting his new family-friendly CD, 'Rhythm Train,' available online. (Produced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, the CD also features L.A. musician Leslie Bixler.)<'Dancing With the Stars' lost a trouper when Dick Van Dyke, 84, turned down an offer to appear on the show.

No stranger to the old soft shoe, the star of the classic musicals 'Bye Bye Birdie,' 'Mary Poppins' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' said no to a stint on 'Dancing.'

"I was asked to be on 'Dancing With the Stars.' And I said I could do one [episode]," Van Dyke told Inside TV. "But to do a second week would be out of the question. I couldn't cut it," joked Van Dyke, who was promoting his new family-friendly CD, 'Rhythm Train,' available online. (Produced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, the CD also features L.A. musician Leslie Bixler.)

'Dancing With the Stars' also has a reputation for celebrities getting hurt, a concern the octogenarian hasn't forgotten about. "Even the young people injure themselves," Van Dyke said. "Well, coming up with a new dance every week is tough on anybody."

One celebrity older than Van Dyke still starring on national TV is Betty White, 88, who is hosting 'Saturday Night Live' on May 8. "I have just heard about it, I haven't talked to Betty about it," Van Dyke said. "But I know she was honored to be on it, son of a gun. I think she is older than I am. Isn't that insane? She and Ernie Borgnine, both, he is 91 or 92 now, and still going strong. Most of my generation has disappeared on me."